Literary Devices in Westmark
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Guess what? Westmark takes place in a fictional kingdom called… wait for it… Westmark. Go figure, right? Though this place is as not-real as places come, though, it still seems pretty rea...
Narrator Point of View
We don't know the guy who's telling this story, but it's clearly not one of our heroes. He can look into Theo's head and into Cabbarus's brain, which nobody can do here (not even Dr. Absalom), whic...
Genre
Technically Westmark is a fantasy novel because it takes place in a made-up land, though besides this, it's pretty much just full of realistic elements. Unlike most books in the fantasy genre, this...
Tone
Theo goes through a whole lot, but the narrator never gets too down about it. He or she maintains a relatively upbeat point-of-view, never commenting that Theo's life is at a dead end or anything o...
Writing Style
The author communicates characters' actions and thoughts in an orderly, methodical manner without excessive comments on these deeds. Don't think this means Alexander's just scratching the surface,...
What's Up With the Title?
Some titles are tricky, Shmoopsters—and goodness knows, plenty of characters in this book are too—but Westmark as a title is about as simple as they come: it's named after it's setting. Westmar...
What's Up With the Ending?
The ending is a happily-ever-after… sort of. For one, Cabbarus is out of power, the king is ruling again, and his family has been reunited. Yay, right? However Mickle isn't exactly keen on stayin...
Tough-o-Meter
Westmark isn't particularly difficult to read in and of itself—the language is straightforward and the characters are easily interpretable. But its themes are deeply political, and it can be diff...
Plot Analysis
Let's Get This Printing Party Started.Theo is a printer's apprentice in a tiny town in Westmark. He likes his job as assistant to Anton—it's something he's good at—and he can make some money do...
Trivia
Experiences in battle during World War II inspired Lloyd Alexander, the author, to write Westmark. It makes the book feel really real. (Source)Folks say that the bad guys tearing down freedom...
Steaminess Rating
The only romance popping up in Westmark is the really sweet friendship between Theo and Mickle, an affection that slowly grows into Theo realizing he's got more than just friendship on his mind. It...
Allusions
Salamanca (4.14)The Delphic Mysteries (4.18)